Refugee Week

17-24Jun

Q: What do Regina Spektor, Albert Einstein and Jesus have in common?

A: They were all refugees. Regina Spektor fled Soviet Russia when she was nine; Einstein settled in the US to escape Nazi Germany, and the Bible tells how Jesus was taken as a baby to Egypt to evade the murderous King Herod.

A refugee is someone who has left their country to escape war, persecution or natural disaster.

This week, the UK is celebrating Refugee Week, which coincides with World Refugee Day on Thursday (20 June). The event encourages people around the world to engage with the refugee community; to combat negative stereotypes about refugees and asylum seekers, and to celebrate the skills and creativity that refugees take to their new countries.

The world is currently experiencing the biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. The United Nations (UN) estimates that a record 68.5 million people, including 25.4 million refugees, have now been forced to flee their homes. Most of these (85%) are living in developing countries, and over half of refugees come from just three places: South Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria.